British Director Ben Wheatley Gets Funding for English Civil War Movie

Wheatley, one of the U.K.'s directors du jour, secures backing from Film4's talent hub Film4.0 for "A Field In England."

LONDON – Film4, the standalone filmmaking arm of broadcaster Channel 4, is backing Ben Wheatley's latest big screen venture, A Field In England.

The movie, set against the backdrop of the English civil war, stars Michael Smiley (Kill List), Peter Ferdinando (Tony), Reece Shearsmith (The League of Gentlemen), Julian Barratt (The Mighty Boosh), Richard Glover (Sightseers) and Ryan Pope (Ideal).

Film4 said Wheatley's film marks the first movie to be developed and fully financed through its talent and ideas hub Film4.0.

The project is written by Amy Jump and Wheatley and produced by Claire Jones and Andy Starke, with Anna Higgs executive producing for Film4.

Shooting starts late September.

Protagonist Pictures is handling international sales for the project.

The script details the story of a small group of deserters who flee and are captured by two men.

It is billed as a psychedelic trip into magic and madness.

The project marks the latest collaboration between Film4, Wheatley and Rook Films, following last year’s Kill List and upcoming release Sightseers.

England will be Wheatley's next film before Freakshift, which is set to shoot in early 2013 in partnership with Film4 and Lava Bear Films.

Wheatley said: "It's great to be continuing the relationship with Film4 and Film4.0. A Field in England is a project that we have been talking about for years and are very excited about making. It brings together the more psychedelic elements of Kill List and Sightseers and weaves in our take on historical drama."